Main menu

Dear Finley, One day, you will learn a very scary word–biopsy. The reason doctors order biopsies is to determine if tissue is malignant, which is a fancy word for cancer. Several weeks ago, I learned that I need to have a nodule on my vocal chord biopsied. “They biopsy everything these days,” I reminded myself. … Continue reading →

Having a preschooler can be TOUGH. Why? Why? Why? you ask. So does Finley–to almost everything he’s told. Whether it’s a method of testing or healthy curiosity, there’s only so much “why?” one woman can take. Also, most preschoolers have mastered the art and science of the dreaded temper tantrum, which is another way of … Continue reading →

Dear Finley, Mother’s Day was last Sunday. You were sick as a dog–feverish, coughing relentlessly, exhausted. Daddy and I suffered alongside you, having lived through two worry-filled days and sleepless nights. This certainly didn’t make for the Mother’s Day we had planned. We didn’t go to a nice brunch together. I didn’t escape my duties … Continue reading →

I have been an absentee parent…of my blog. There’s only so much care-taking one woman can do, right? Between work, working out and working in family time, life has been hectic. Luckily, life is full of unexpected surprises and full-belly laughs!

Dear Finley, From the moment you are born, time and change have you in their grip. As beautifully captured in Ecclesiastes 3:1, “For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven” (ASV). If this is true–and I believe it is–constant change is a certainty of life. How you deal with … Continue reading →

My uncle Frances was a great magician. Okay, so he was no David Copperfield or Criss Angel, but I was just a kid; it didn’t take much to impress my cousins and me at Grandma’s annual Christmas Eve party. I think my favorite trick was the removable thumb tip trick. Uncle Frances never revealed his … Continue reading →

Dear Finley, I hope you love your name. I had to fight for you to have it. Finley isn’t a very common name; your daddy worried the name would make you a target for teasing. Every kid is a target at some point, though; the only question is the size of the bull’s-eye. Regardless, I … Continue reading →

Dear Finley, Be prepared. For the next two weeks, you’ll be surrounded by heart-shaped items. Balloons. Cards. Chocolate. All of these items and more will bear hearts and/or be splashed in shades of red and pink. In your innocence (and given the fact that you aren’t expected to give gifts at your current age) the … Continue reading →

For any readers who worried I may have been lost at sea during my recent Caribbean cruise, fear not; I’ve merely been bedridden, recovering from hotel/airplane travel grunge. Luckily, the bug I picked up duty-free didn’t strike until after I arrived home; neither Finley nor my mom have since become sick; and I’m almost fully … Continue reading →

A momentary spray of pink streaked the sky as the sun rose at sea this morning. Between this sight and the sound of the ship cutting through the waves, it was a wonderful way to greet our final day at sea.